Dicentra plant named ‘White Gold’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of  Dicentra  plant characterized by soft, golden to yellow green foliage, large white flowers, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Dicentra spectabilis (Lamprocapnos spectabilis).

Variety designation: ‘White Gold’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dicentraspectabilis (Lamprocapnos spectabilis), of the family Papaveraceae, andgiven the cultivar name, ‘White Gold’. This plant originated as a chanceseedling growing in a garden in Middle Grove, N.Y. The discovery wasmade in spring of 2010.

This new cultivar is uniquely characterized by:

-   -   1. soft, golden to yellow green foliage,    -   2. large white flowers, and    -   3. excellent vigor.

Compared to Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’, an unpatented plant, the newcultivar has golden to yellow green leaves rather than green leaves.

Compared to Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’, an unpatented plant, thenew cultivar has white rather than pink and white flowers.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation. Each ofthe progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant.Asexual propagation by micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., showsthat the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to formand are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. Thepresent invention has not been evaluated under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations inenvironment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an eighteen-month-old Dicentra ‘White Gold’ in the gardenin a two gallon container in early April in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of the same plant.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Dicentra cultivarbased on observations of eighteen-month-old specimens grown in a coveredarea outside in two gallon containers in April in Canby, Oreg. Canby isZone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95°F. in August to 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Form.—Clumping.        -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 3 to 9.        -   Size.—Grows to 34 cm tall and 70 cm wide.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.-   Stem:    -   -   Size.—Grows to 35 cm long and 7 mm wide at the base.        -   # Stems.—6.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Branching.—Basal with stem leaves and terminal and lateral            racemes.        -   Internodes.—4 cm to 7 cm long.        -   Color.—Yellow Green 145B.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Pinnately compound with ternately compound leaflets.        -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Quantity.—Good.        -   Shape.—Broadly ovate to triangular in outline, leaflets            usually obovate.        -   Lobing/division.—Leaflets 3 cleft to parted and 2 to 4 lobed            with entire margins, ovate to broadly ovate, apiculate tips,            cuneate bases, glabrous on both sides, leaflet size            variable, grow to 8 cm long and 4 cm wide.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 20.5 cm long and 18 cm wide.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.        -   Petiole description.—Grows to 8 cm long and 3 mm wide,            glabrous, Yellow Green 145C.        -   Leaf/leaflet color.—Young leaves (including veins) top side            closest to Yellow Green N144A, bottom side 147D; older            leaves (including veins) topside closest to Yellow Green            N145A, bottom side 147D.        -   Stipules.—None.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Axillary and terminal racemes.        -   Number of flowers.—3 to 12 per raceme, increasing with older            stems.        -   Number of racemes in first spring flush.—12.        -   Size.—Grows 0 cm to 3 cm long and to 3.5 cm wide.        -   Peduncle description.—Grows 6 cm to 16 cm long and to 3 mm            wide, glabrous, Yellow Green 145B, medium strength.        -   Pedicel description.—5 mm to 7 mm long, less than 1 mm wide,            Yellow Green 145B.        -   Bloom period.—April to June in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—Grow to 20 mm long and 14 mm wide at the widest point            prior to opening.        -   Description.—Oblong with the base wider than the tip and            heart-shaped, self-cleaning.        -   Color.—White NN155D on heart shaped top, tip White NN155D            with spot Green Yellow 1A.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic.        -   Corolla description.—Pendulous, 22 mm long and 26 mm wide,            heart-shaped on bottom half, laterally compressed, 4 petals            in 2 opposed pairs; outer petal pair pouched at the base            forming the heart shape, reflexed on top ⅓ and cupped at            tip, each 17 mm long and spreading 5 mm wide with reflexed            limb 6 mm long and 3 mm wide, margins entire, tip acute,            glabrous and White NN155D inside and out; inner petal pair            tongue shaped and connected at the tip, 22 mm long (5 mm            extruding) and to 9 mm wide, with convex inner face and            crested apex; margins entire, tip apiculate; inside and            outside glabrous and White NN155D with spot Green Yellow 1A            about 3 mm long and 2 mm wide just above outer petal pair.        -   Calyx description.—2 sepals, scale line, not seen.        -   Pistil description.—One, linear and 19 mm long, Yellow Green            145B, ovary 11 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, style 7 mm long,            stigma is double arrow-shaped, 1 mm wide.        -   Stamen description.—6 in number, compound with 3 partially            fused sections in each inner petal, 21 mm long, filaments 20            mm long and to 1.5 mm wide, White NN155D, anthers 1 mm long,            ovoid, Green Yellow 1D, pollen Yellow 13B, in moderate            amounts.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lastingness.—A raceme blooms for about 4 weeks on the plant.-   Fruit: A lanceolate capsule, dehiscent with 2 valves, grows to 22 mm    long and 3.5 mm wide, Yellow Green 145A, about 3 seeds per fruit.-   Seed: Arrilate, round, 1.5 mm wide, Black 202A.-   Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is typical to the    genus. No problems have been found in Canby, Oreg.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct form of Dicentra plant as herebyillustrated and described.